TASCAM's Portacapture X8 is Indispensable for TV Sound Producer Luiz Kruszielski

May 2023... When much of your audio capture work takes place on location, the ability to acquire high quality sound in a compact, easy to transport package is of vital importance. With 32-bit floating point record capability, powerful DSP, easy file transfer to a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and more, the TASCAM Portacapture X8 Multi-track Handheld Recorder addresses many of the challenges common to location sound work—making it a favorite tool for TV Sound Producer Luiz Kruszielski.

As a graduate of a sound production program in his home country of Brazil, Kruszielski went on to acquire a masters and a doctoral degree in sound at the Tokyo University of the Arts in Japan. Since then, he has been working as a sound producer for Globo TV, a Brazilian free-to-air television network and the largest commercial TV network in Latin America. Globo TV is also the largest producer of telenovelas, a type of television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. Kruszielski has worked on over 400 such episodes, including for the International Emmy® Award winning show Orphans of a Land. He discussed his fondness for the TASCAM Portacapture X8.

"For my manner of working, the Portacapture is the ideal 'Jack of all trades' tool that I carry in my backpack," Kruszielski explained. "It's a great tool for recording ambient sounds and sound effects in addition to some basic 'on-set ADR' (Automated Dialog Replacement). I work in a very fast-paced industry where the time between what is recorded on set and the date when the program airs can be very, very narrow. Imagine for a moment that the actor said a wrong word and it needs to be corrected. By finding a quiet place on set, the Portacapture and a reference video on one's cellphone are enough to perform a quick dialog replacement. I also use it extensively for recording sound ambiances that complement the scene, such as some kids playing in the streets of a Favela or the insects in a nocturnal rural area."

"I've had the Portacapture X8 for about 8 months now," Kruszielski added, "and I've come to really appreciate several of its features. The fact that it records in 32-bits is a great tool for unexpected sound variations while recording an ambience. You never know when a larger truck will pass by, or some kid will make a loud noise—and both can be interesting when it comes to creating a sound scene. I can keep the volume low and not worry about adding gain later during editing. I also love the recorder's ability to connect with one's phone via Bluetooth. This eliminates the potential for handling noise during recording when using the onboard mics. Further, when using external mics—once everything is set up—you can keep the Portacapture inside your bag and not have to reach for it at all. Equally important, power via USB-C is a great feature. Connect a good power bank and you won't have to worry about how long it will last."

Kruszielski also offered his thoughts on the Portacapture X8's presets, such as those for capturing podcasts, field recording, dialog, and music. "The benefit of the Portacapture's presets is that they enable the user to quickly and easily configure the recorder to capture sound for a specific type of application. Personally, I use the Portacapture in music mode when I record myself playing acoustic guitar because I like hearing that it adds reverb. My preference, however, is the unit's Manual mode, as it gives me complete control over all the features. The routing, mixing, and panning of different mics is a great tool—especially if you are using M/S microphones or recording multichannel audio."

Before turning his attention to the business of the day, Kruszielski offered these final thoughts regarding his experience with the Portacapture X8, "I had the TASCAM DR-44WL for years and it was a great tool. But these days, the Portacapture X8 makes a great upgrade and enables me to even record some 5.0 surround recordings using an external preamp connecting to the front 3.5mm connector. The Portacapture X8 is a great piece of equipment—and I carry it almost everywhere I go. You never know when there you might encounter a great sound that you want to add to your library!"

For additional information about Luiz Kruszielski, visit him online at https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Luiz-Kruszielski/6901488766.